


it'll be alright

by aloneafterdark



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics), DCU, Nightwing (Comics), Robin: Son of Batman (Comics)
Genre: Alpha Bruce Wayne, Alpha Cassandra Cain, Alpha Jason Todd, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Beta Tim Drake, Brotherly Bonding, Gen, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Damian Wayne, Omega Dick Grayson, Platonic Cuddling, Whump, do not come here for ships i'll eat you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:42:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27474463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aloneafterdark/pseuds/aloneafterdark
Summary: Damian goes into his first heat, and Dick is there to help.
Relationships: Cassandra Cain & Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne
Comments: 8
Kudos: 226





	it'll be alright

Dick can smell it before anything else, the strong, sweet scent washing over him before someone is even close enough to open the door—the smell of a first heat. The door swings open and Damian stands there staring at him with tears in his eyes.

"Grayson," he whimpers, sounding so helpless and lost, eyes wide with fear, and Dick can't remember ever seeing his brother look so small.

"Hey," Dick says softly, keeping his voice low as he stands and walks to kneel in front of Damian, knowing his already sensitive ears are going into hyperdrive. He takes his face in his hands and Damian reaches up to hold onto his wrists, gripping them like they're his last lifeline. "Hey, it's gonna be okay, alright? You're okay, just breathe."

Damian nods and closes his eyes as he tries to steady his breathing, seemingly having realized he'd been hyperventilating up until this moment. His face is hot in Dick's hands and his hands are hot on his wrists, and Dick can imagine how Damian must feel like his whole body is burning up from the inside out.

"How about we get you in a bath, huh?" Dick offers a small smile as he brushes a thumb over Damian's cheek. "Does that sound good?"

Damian gulps, but he nods, and lets Dick lead him to his room then into his ensuite. He deposits Damian on the toilet seat, caressing his face and nuzzling his head before he goes to get the bath started, telling Damian to start getting undressed. Normally the boy would get flustered and protest, but this time he doesn't hesitate to start pulling off his clothes and throwing them onto the floor.

When the water has reached a good temperature, Dick stands and pushes the shower curtain back, gesturing to the tub. He holds a hand out to help Damian in, who graciously accepts the help and settles into the tub. Dick pulls the shower curtain closed and exits the bathroom, leaving a soft towel on the toilet seat and a box of pads on the counter. He can already see Damian's face scrunching at that, but it's better than getting slick all over his pants.

In Damian's bedroom Dick gets to work gathering some comfy pajamas and a pair of underwear, leaving them folded in the bathroom. He pops into the hallway bathroom to get some things from the cabinet, leaving a box of tampons and another box of pads on Damian's dresser for when he gets his first period a few days after the heat.

Thank God Dick visited the manor when he did, because he can't imagine big alpha Bruce trying to deal with this, especially after he did such a  _ stellar _ job when Dick went into his own first heat.

He shakes his head at the memory, heading down to the living room to start building a nest. Nests are good for heats, especially firsts, and Dick has made his fair share of quality nests over the years.

He lays out soft blankets and tosses pillows and cushions onto the floor, making sure it's just the right amount of haphazard before standing to admire his handiwork. But before it can be called finished, some more things need to be gathered from the rest of the house.

Dick goes back upstairs and starts going around to everyone's rooms, taking a little something from each of them for the nest. His pullover, Jason's sweatshirt, one of Bruce's pillows, Alfred's throw blanket, a scarf of Cass's, and, though Damian would never admit to wanting it, one of Tim’s shirts. Tim and Damian might not get along most days, but Tim's pack and he smells like pack and Damian won't say anything if it's already there.

When the nest is fully up to Dick's standards, he settles down in it and waits. Soon enough, Damian emerges in the doorway and makes a beeline for the nest, all but flinging himself down next to Dick and burying his face in his chest. Dick puts an arm around his baby brother and rubs soothing circles on his back. Every now and then Damian lets out a whimper, pushing closer to Dick, arms wrapping tighter around his waist. Dick just squeezes him back as best he can.

An hour has passed and they're watching some corny teen drama when Jason walks into the living room, mouth half full of pretzels and nursing a can of coke. Dick immediately turns to growl when he smells him get close, and Jason takes a step back while holding his hands up in mock surrender.

"Ay, yo, hey, I just want to watch Brooklyn Nine Nine."

"Sorry, Jay, but this is a no alpha zone until further notice," Dick tells him, leveling him with a look. Jason looks between him, Damian, the nest, and back to Damian.

"Baby bat's in heat, isn't he," he says flatly.

At that Damian lets out a pitiful whine, pushing his face further into Dick's chest.

Jason just heaves a big sigh, a very much unamused look on his face.

Just then, Cass walks in and plops herself on a couch without so much as a yip in her direction, and Jason throws his hands up in exasperation.

"I thought you said this was an alpha free zone!"

Dick shrugs. "Cass is the exception, not the rule."

Jason shakes his head incredulously. "Unbelievable," he says as he turns around and walks out of the room. Dick snorts.

He then turns to look at Cass, who's looking at Damian inquisitively. "Baby brother okay?" she asks.

"He's doing fine," Dick answers, smiling reassuringly. Cass keeps staring at them, eyes darting back and forth from the nest, a question in her eyes as she waits for permission to join the puppy pile. Dick jerks his head in affirmation and Cass slides down to join them amongst the carefully arranged pile of blankets and pillows. Damian sighs contentedly, the presence of an alpha he trusts helping to put him at ease.

They stay like that for a while. Cass is in and out, Alfred occasionally brings them things to eat and drink, and nobody asks questions or makes any comments. Tim even floats in a few times, and Damian doesn't even complain as the beta settles on one of the couches or is pulled into the nest by Dick.

Bruce doesn't come into the room, but Dick can sense and smell him standing in the doorway every now and then, watching, making sure his pup is okay. He hopes Damian can sense it, too.

The heat lasts two days. It's early, so they won't last very long. Damian stays in the nest for an extra day to recuperate. Dick is there with him every step of the way.

It's the third day, and Dick and Damian are sitting surrounded by pillows and blankets and the smells of the pack. Dick's head is resting on top of Damian's, face pressing into his hair, when Damian speaks so quietly that Dick almost misses it.

"Thanks, Dick," he whispers against Dick's chest, arms still slung around his waist.

"Of course, kiddo," Dick says, pulling Damian closer. "I'll always be here for you."


End file.
